B eautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
Suggest ways to get rid of the hair above my upper lip. — Rohini
Have threading done at a beauty salon. Home remedies do not remove facial hair. But they are believed to lessen the growth if used regularly over a period of time. Try the following remedies — make a thick paste of sugar, lemon juice and water and apply it in the direction of the growth. Wash it off after it dries. Apply the mixture once or twice a week. Make a paste of turmeric powder and milk and rub this on the skin with a circular motion. It is said to discourage facial hair, but it may leave a yellowish colour on the skin.
My hair is rough and oily. I also have dandruff and grey hair. — Pratishtha
Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo four times a week, using very little shampoo and taking care to rinse it off well. Once a week, heat olive oil and apply it on the scalp at night. Leave it on overnight. Next morning, apply the juice of a lemon 15 minutes before a shampoo wash. Henna treatments will help. Add amla to henna powder. However, henna turns grey hair reddish brown. It will not colour dark hair. Soak a handful of dry amla in about 2 to 3 cups of water overnight. The following morning, strain the water, but do not throw the water away. Grind the amla. To the henna powder, add the ground amla, 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs, 2 teaspoons of oil and enough amla water, so that the henna mixes into a thick paste. Allow the paste to stand for two to three hours and then apply it on the hair, so that the entire head is covered. Keep it on for at least two hours before washing it off.
I have pimples which leave dark spots on my face. — Sharmi
You have not mentioned whether you still get pimples or not. They have to be treated first; otherwise they will continue to erupt, leaving scars. Mix rice powder with curd and use it as a facial scrub once or twice a week. Apply the mixture on your face, rubbing the skin gently with tiny circular movements, especially on the dark spots. Leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off. Do not apply the scrub on the pimples. Mix honey and lemon juice in equal quantities and apply this daily on your face. Wash it off after 15 minutes. Mix multani mitti with rose water and lemon juice into a paste and apply it on your face two or three times a week. Wash it off after it dries. This will help get rid of the marks too.
The area of my cheek between my eyes and beard seems to be tanned. I tried to shave it off. Now I keep getting boils on that side of my face. — Prasanna
You may be having acne. The hair follicles may have got infected. Do you generally sleep on the side where the boils occur? If so, infection can be caused by dandruff and the pillow covers. Wash your face twice a day, in the morning and night, with a medicated soap. Then wipe it with an astringent lotion, using cotton wool. Apply sandalwood paste on the boils. Mix cinnamon powder with a little lemon juice and a few drops of honey into a sticky paste. Apply it only on the pimples daily, leaving it on for one or two hours.
I have many open pores on my face and a few white moles below my eyes. — Archana
These are not “white moles.” They could be whiteheads. Avoid pinching them with your nails. Use a facial scrub on the areas with open pores twice a week. Since the whiteheads are near your eyes, you can try these home remedies. Make a paste of fenugreek leaves and apply it on your face daily, washing it off after an hour. Grated potato or potato juice may also be applied. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. Drinking barley water is also believed to help whiteheads.
